Known from prior art camera modules for motor vehicles are cleaning devices that apply a fluid jet directly to the lens for cleaning the lens or an outer lens surface. The application usually takes place via nozzles of the cleaning device that are located in the immediate vicinity of the lens or the outer lens surface.
It is a disadvantage in the prior art that cleaning of the lenses usually is inadequate or incomplete. This can be attributed, in particular, to the fact that the nozzles of the cleaning device only reach or clean those areas of the outer lens surface that are not located in a stagnant area or a spray shadow starting from the nozzle of the cleaning device. This occurs most particularly in the case of convex outer lens surfaces.
The invention is based on the object of specifying a camera module that overcomes the problems known from the prior art and that allows improved cleaning of the outer lens surface.
This object is attained by the subject matter with the features from the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the figures, the description, and the dependent claims.
According to the invention, the object is attained by a camera module for a motor vehicle having a camera unit with a camera and a lens, wherein the camera unit is arranged in a housing, and wherein the camera unit is designed to be movable between a passive position in which the camera unit is at least partially located in the housing and an active position in which the camera unit is used for image acquisition of an outside area of a motor vehicle, and having a drive unit that is coupled to the camera unit and is designed to move the camera unit between the passive position and the active position, and having a cleaning device for cleaning the lens of the camera unit with a fluid jet, wherein the camera module has a deflection element for deflecting the fluid jet onto the lens. This achieves, for example, the technical advantage that complete and thorough cleaning of the outer lens surface takes place. The deflection element prevents a stagnant area from remaining on the outer lens surface by applying the fluid jet from an appropriate direction.
In consequence, the quality of the cleaning process is considerably improved.
Through suitable design of the deflection element, it is possible to orient the fluid jet by impingement on the deflection element in such a way that the entire outer lens surface is reached by the fluid jet. To this end, the deflection element is designed to deflect the fluid jet for cleaning of the entire outer lens surface.
According to a special embodiment, the camera module has a door to cover the camera unit in the passive position. This achieves, for example, the technical advantage that the entire camera unit is protected and shielded from external influences in the passive position. Camera lenses frequently represent sensitive components and hence are easily damaged. In this regard, a door represents an effective protective device for prolonging the service life of a camera lens.
In order to implement the arrangement of the deflection element in an especially simple manner, the deflection element is located on the door. In this case, implementing the deflection element as a single piece with the door is especially economical to manufacture and entails comparatively low assembly effort. Alternatively, however, it is equally possible according to another embodiment to design the deflection element such that it can be clipped onto the door. In particular, this would have the advantage that different deflection elements suitable for different lenses or different camera units can be arranged on the door. In this regard, this embodiment allows flexible adaptation to different lenses or different camera units.
In order to achieve cleaning performance especially effectively, or in order to ensure deflection of the fluid jet onto the outer lens surface in an especially precise manner, the deflection element is located on the door in the center and adjacent to the lens of the camera.
In order to permit deflection of the fluid jet from the cleaning device via the deflection element onto the outer lens surface in an especially targeted manner and as precisely as possible, the deflection element is designed in the form of a ramp. Alternatively, however, it is likewise possible to design the deflection element to be concave according to another embodiment.
In order to further improve cleaning performance or in order to implement complete wetting of the entire outer lens surface, the deflection element is designed to be pivotable. In combination with a drive, it would be possible here to allow especially thorough cleaning of the outer lens surface by means of a pivoting motion during the cleaning process.
In order to achieve an especially compact cleaning device and in order to accommodate the cleaning device in the housing of the camera module, the cleaning device is designed to be rod-shaped. The cleaning fluid is thus discharged laterally from the rod-shaped cleaning device. In interaction with the deflection device, however, cleaning of the entire outer lens surface is possible with no stagnant area and without spray shadows. Here, the cleaning device can be located in a fixed position on the housing in order to achieve a still more compact and modular implementation of the cleaning device and thus of the camera module as well.
According to another embodiment, the cleaning device is designed to be coupled to the drive unit. In this way it is possible to transfer the cleaning device to an improved position to apply the fluid jet to the deflection element. In addition, the coupling to the drive unit offers the possibility of retracting the cleaning device back into the housing of the camera module after a cleaning process, by which means improved protection and a prolonged service life are achieved. It would be possible here to extend and retract the cleaning device in a telescoping manner with the aid of the drive unit, for example.
According to an especially preferred embodiment, the door is designed to be coupled to the drive unit. This makes it possible for the door to be automatically opened in conjunction with a cleaning process and closed again at the end of a cleaning process. This may take place by the means that the door is designed to be pivotable, for example. Alternatively, however, it can also be opened or closed by a linear motion or by a combination of a pivoting motion and a linear motion.
To reduce the manufacturing costs and to cut down on assembly of the door on the camera module, the door is designed such that it can be opened by the motion of the camera from the passive position to the active position. This additionally improves the reliability of the camera module. In this design, the door preferably is designed to be spring-mounted in order to ensure automatic closure after a cleaning process.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are described in detail below.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a camera module 100 with a housing 107 and a drive unit 111 adjacent to the housing 107. Arranged in the interior of the housing 107 is a camera unit 101 (not shown) with a camera 103 and a lens 105, wherein the camera unit 101 is movable between a passive position in which the camera unit 101 is at least partially located in the housing 107 and an active position in which the camera unit 101 can acquire images of an outside area of a motor vehicle. The drive unit 111 is coupled to the camera unit 101, and can move the camera unit 101 back and forth between the passive position and the active position.
Additionally located in the housing 107 is a cleaning device 113 (not shown), which is either designed to be coupled to the drive unit 111 or, alternatively, is connected in a fixed manner to the housing 107 of the camera module 100.